This invention relates to an improvement in a bathtub such as a whirlpool bathtub, having tub operation elements including water delivery, control and actuation elements.
Bathtubs, in particular whirlpool tubs, are known to be provided with an inlet through which a cascading flow of water is introduced into the tub body, a drain, a hand-shower, and a number of functional control and actuation elements. More particularly, whirlpool tubs are conventionally provided with means (actuation element) for actuating the plug stopping up the drain, means (actuation element) for mixing hot water with cold water so as to achieve a single flow of water at a desired temperature, means (actuation element) for diverting the flow of water towards an extractable nozzle (water delivery element) of the hand-shower, means (control elements) for starting and stopping the operation of the water circulating pump and the air blowing pump, a plug for capping a reservoir to be filled with liquid disinfectant, and a switch (control element) for operating an electromechanical valve which allows the liquid disinfectant to enter the water circulation circuit of the tub.
All such water delivery, control and actuation elements are typically arranged either on the wall adjacent the tub or along the upper edges of the sides of the tub, in particular along the longitudinally extending sides of the latter.
However, this gives rise to the following drawbacks. The installation of the functional control and/or actuation elements directly on the surface of the tub body or the wall adjacent the tub body makes it necessary for the manufacturer to provide a large number of drillings in order to allow the elements to be inserted through the material of the tub body. This in turn requires a number of very delicate, highly accurate and, therefore, expensive manufacturing operations. Moreover, water-tightness must be restored around the spots where these elements protrude after their installation.
This is particularly true when the elements are arranged on the wall adjacent the bathtub, this making it in fact necessary to also perform some masonry work. Furthermore, normal or ordinary maintenance of the elements, as well as their repair or replacement, turn out to be quite complicated operations typically requiring the need for specialized professionals, such as masons, tilers and plumbers.
Another drawback derives from the fact that for such control and actuation elements to be easily actuated, they must be located in a zone which is normally occupied by handles grasped by the user for support and/or for guidance into or out of the tub.
It therefore happens that the elements are so concentrated in such a zone that the location of the handles makes their use less convenient or that it becomes more complicated to correctly operate or actuate the water delivery, functional control and/or actuation elements.